The question of the day from The Real Housewives of Oklahoma is "April 19, 1995 Where Were You."?
April 19. What can I say about that day. April 19, 1995 I was a young mother with two little girls that I shuffled off to school. The Hubby was hard at work at our business and I was on my way to take my final exam at Tulsa Junior College now called Tulsa Community College at the SE Campus. It was College Algebra, YUCK! I had worked nearly 13 years to get that 2 year degree and I was finally to the end. I arrived on campus and was walking down one of the halls amid tons of much younger students. I was at the time one of very few much older students. I passed a lounging area on my way to find a corner to study when I saw a crowd staring at one of the many televisions that hung from a ceiling bracket. It had just happened The crowd was buzzing with what had happened and the confusion on their faces was evident. Here, in Oklahoma. What? Who? The news reporters were talking about bombs and babies and the horror and shock made the hallway full of people almost silent as we watched. Our hands on our mouths, gasping. The cell phones were being dialed, people checking on loved ones. No answers. Tears. I don't remember going to class to take the final. I don't remember leaving the campus. I don't remember much until later in the evening and watching it all on the news with my family. I was just in such total shock by it all.
I was fortunate enough to not have a family member or friend in the bombing, through the years though I have met people that have. One of B's good friends from college lost her father. One of The Hubby's old grade school friends was severly injured in the blast. Even though I was not touched very closely by the tragedy it still affected our/my tiny corner of the world we call Oklahoma. It was mind boggling how such a war-like action could be here in the midwest in the middle of good and wholesome and unthreatening. It tainted what we knew of a protected world, our world. Our thinking had to change. Our whole concept of life as we knew it was forever changed. The outside world (even though it was homegrown) can touch us here and it was not good.
7 comments:
Great post.
It was a life changer for me. I just couldn't believe that it was happening.
I didn't know anyone at the time who was directly affected but I would meet them in the years to come.
Thanks for linking up with us today.
It is is such a tragic and scray time when babies and bombs are in the same sentence -and especially in Oklahoma! Interesting to read where everyone was then.
"The cell phones were being dialed, people checking on loved ones. No answers. Tears. " I remember this so well. It was so scary.
My sister met a woman last week through her job who needed some documents regarding her mother. When Sis asked how long ago her mother had passed away the woman answered, "15 years ago, almost exactly. She was killed in the Murrah Building." It was the first time she'd ever met someone directly affected by it. She said when she finished helping the woman she went to the restroom and cried. Sometimes it just takes a bit of perspective...
Thanks for sharing today.
~~Mrs. Nesbitt
I keep reading these post after I have written mine and think- I remember that happening to me also!! Great post. Thanks for sharing! ♥Mrs. Hart♥
"Our whole concept of life as we knew it was forever changed. The outside world (even though it was homegrown) can touch us here and it was not good."
Well said.
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